Ermine Frosting is an old-fashioned recipe also often known as “boiled milk frosting”. It’s silky smooth and less sweet than traditional buttercream and is the traditional frosting used for red velvet cake. If you’re not a fan of sugary, overly-sweet icings, you’ll appreciate the more subtle sweetness but beautiful pipe-ability (it’s great for decorating) of today’s recipe. Recipe includes lots of tips and a how-to video so you can have flawless results in your own kitchen!
Adding another one to my frosting library today! This was a must-have considering the recipes I have coming for you later this week… (hint!)! Ermine frosting is a classic, old-fashioned recipe that’s been around for ages. I bet your grandmother knows how to make it!
It’s great for piping and can be colored with food coloring. While there is some stovetop time required, there’s no candy thermometer needed. If you’ve tried my Whoopie Pies yet and made the filling, you’ve essentially had ermine frosting before, but today we’re making it the traditional way with granulated sugar.
What Does Ermine Icing Taste Like?
If I had to compare it to any of my other frostings I would say it most reminds me of my Swiss meringue buttercream. It’s buttery, silky smooth on the tongue, and not too sweet. In fact, it’s much less sweet than traditional buttercream frosting. I have to be careful when I make it, it’s so delicious it’s easy to eat several cupcake’s worth by the finger-full without even realizing it.
What You Need (and Key Ingredient Tips and Substitutions):
- Sugar. We are using white granulated sugar and not powdered sugar (which is the most commonly used icing sugar, and what I use for my cream cheese frosting.). Don’t worry, we’ll cook this with our flour and milk so your icing will not be grainy. Brown sugar may be substituted (expect a richer, slightly caramelized flavor!).
- Flour. Use all-purpose or plain flour, and whisk it well with the sugar to remove any lumps. Flour works as a thickener here and we’ll be making a pudding out of the flour, sugar, salt, and milk. This will then be whipped into the butter, giving our Ermine frosting its signature consistency and smooth, velvety mouthfeel.
- Salt. For flavor.
- Milk. I use whole milk, but 2% milk would work as would almond or coconut milk.
- Butter. I recommend using unsalted and adding salt to best control the flavor, but if you only have salted on hand please see my post on substituting salted for unsalted butter. The butter should be softened, but not so soft that it’s greasy or melty or your ermine frosting will be too soft.
- Vanilla extract. You may substitute your favorite flavoring, but vanilla is the classic flavor used here.
If you’d like, you can also add any food coloring. Stir this in at the end until the desired color is reached (I love using gel food colorings for the most vibrant color).
How to Make Ermine Frosting BRIGHT White
Ermine frosting typically turns out to be very white, but if your butter is particularly yellow or your vanilla extract particularly dark, then sometimes it doesn’t have that pure, snow-white consistency you might be looking for. To get a pure white frosting, I recommend using clear vanilla extract instead of typical vanilla.
If that isn’t enough to keep your frosting a true-white color, you can add a tiny bit of violet colored food coloring. And I do mean a tiny bit! I dip the very end of a toothpick into the food color, dip that in my frosting, then stir well. This works because violet is on the opposite end of the color wheel from yellow (and if your frosting isn’t bright white, it’s yellow from the butter and vanilla), so we balance this with a tiny hint of violet for bright white frosting.
What to Pair It With:
Ermine icing is traditionally made to be served on red velvet cake and red velvet cupcakes. Click the links to see my perfected version of each.
It will also work with just about any of my other cake or cupcake recipes but pairs especially well with my chocolate cake, coconut cake, chocolate cupcakes, and dark chocolate cupcakes.
Troubleshooting
While ermine frosting is generally pretty simple to make, occasionally a would-be-cake-decorator finds themselves with a melty, gloppy mess instead of a bowl of billowy smooth frosting. There are three main issues that usually cause this, and knowing about them in advance and knowing what to look for is the best way to prevent this.
Runny Frosting
- Your roux wasn’t cooked properly. It’s important to whisk constantly while cooking and keep your heat on medium. Do not crank the heat up to high to speed up the cooking process, or you’re liable to burn your roux and the sugar won’t have a chance to melt properly. Remember: medium-low and slow is the way to go!
- The flour mixture was added to the butter before it was cooled completely. This is so important. If your roux is even a bit too warm when you add it to your butter, you’ll have a greasy, curdled mess on your hands. Have patience and let it cool completely.
- Your butter was too soft. Remember, you want it to be softened, but not to the point where it is melty or oily to pick up. If your butter is too soft (this happens quickly, especially during the summer) you could end up with an icing that’s much too soft and runny. I usually remove my butter from the refrigerator 45-60 minutes before I’m ready to begin creaming it for the frosting.
If your frosting isn’t necessarily “runny” but is still quite soft and difficult to decorate with, it may just be a bit too warm. Pop it in the fridge for 20-30 minutes before using.
Help! My Icing Curdled!
If your ermine frosting looks curdled, split, or grainy, the most likely problem is that either your butter was too cold or your flour mixture was too cold.
Don’t worry, there’s still hope! Keep whipping it (this could take several minutes or longer) and most of the time it will eventually come together.
Storing and Making in Advance
You can make ermine frosting up to a week in advance of using. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Before using, let the frosting come sit at room temperature for at least 15-30 minutes. You may need to briefly whip it again with an electric mixer to return it to the proper consistency before using. Alternatively you may freeze in an airtight container for several months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then follow the steps above (sit at room temperature and re-whip) before using.
Once you’ve frosted your cake or cupcakes, this icing will do well at room temperature (below 75F) for up to two days. Beyond that I recommend refrigerating. As with just about any frosting recipe, this one does not stand up well to heat and is prone to melting outdoors at high summertime temperatures.
Other Recipes to Try:
Enjoy, and stay tuned for my long-awaited Red Velvet Cake recipe that’s coming later this week!
Let’s bake together! Don’t forget to watch the how-to VIDEO in the recipe card!
Ermine Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 5 Tablespoons (40 g) all-purpose (plain) flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (236 ml) milk¹
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter softened but not melty
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Combine sugar, flour, and salt in a medium-sized saucepan and whisk well to combine and remove any lumps from the flour.1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, 5 Tablespoons (40 g) all-purpose (plain), ¼ teaspoon salt
- Turn stovetop heat to medium and whisk in milk until mixture is smooth.1 cup (236 ml) milk¹
- Continue whisking constantly until mixture is thickened to a pudding-like consistency (do not crank up the heat or you’ll burn it and the sugar won’t dissolve properly) and the whisk leaves a trail.
- Remove from heat and pour into a heat-proof container and cover the surface with a piece of plastic wrap, wax paper, or parchment paper pressed directly against the surface (to prevent a skin from forming). Allow to cool completely to room temperature (alternatively you may make this mixture a day or two in advance, store in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before proceeding).
- Once flour mixture has cooled, use an electric mixer or stand mixer to beat butter on high speed until it is light and fluffy (this usually takes several minutes, and you may need to scrape the bowl with a spatula).1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter
- Reduce mixer speed to medium and gradually add flour mixture, one heaping spoonful at a time, waiting until each spoonful is incorporated before adding the next and beating until all ingredients are well-combined. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl with a spatula, then stir in vanilla extract. Gradually increase speed to medium-high and whip frosting until it is smooth, light, and airy (it should not seem greasy). If you have any difficulty or experience your frosting splitting please see the troubleshooting section in the blog post.1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Use your spatula to deflate the frosting to work out any air bubbles, then use as desired.
Notes
Storing
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Before using, allow icing to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or longer and then re-whip with mixer before using. Frosting may also be frozen for several months, thawed in the refrigerator, and then brought to room temperature, whipped, and used.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Fran Rose
My mother left me the recipe for the red velvet cake in all of her recipes. It was originally from the Waldorf Astoria in NY. My recipe calls for the same ingredients for the icing, but only cook the flour and milk. Once that cools mix with the other ingredients. I usually cream the butter and sugar and vanilla, then add the flour mixture. I’m thinking yours might be better since the sugar will be dissolved. By the way, this icing is pretty awesome on a nice chocolate cake too. 🙂
Anna
Is there a preferred stand mixer attachment that I should use to make the frosting? Thanks!
Sam
Hi Anna! I use the whisk attachment when I make mine. 🙂
Adi
This frosting turned out great! I made it with your red velvet cake which also was amazing.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that it turned out perfectly for you, Adi! 🙂
Debbie Moore
Can I make this frosting with brown sugar?
Sam
Hi Debbie! That will work fine. 🙂
Jacqui
Great recipe! Is it possible to overcook the roux? And I find that when I’m about 3/4 way into mixing the roux I to my butter that the frosting starts getting sloppy. What am i doing wrong here? Mixing each bit of roux for too long?
Sam
Hi Jacqui! It’s possible but it’s not super easy to do. Have you checked out my “Troubleshooting” section in the post, that should help with the issue you’re having.
Jacqui
Thank you!
Katie
How long until it thickens on stovetop? Ive been whisking for at least 10 min now and it’s still liquid. Followed measurements exactly? Is it supposed to be 5 heaping tablespoons of flour or leveled off?
Sam
Hi Katie! It will still be liquid, just thickened. Exactly how long it takes will vary according to your exact stove temperature, did you watch the video that will probably be helpful, or the photos in the post may be if the visual cues mentioned in the recipe aren’t helping. Level tablespoons 🙂
Christina
I have been making this frosting with red velvet cake for years using my Grandma’s recipe. (And has always been my favorite). Each time it seemed I would run into a different issue. As soon as I saw the troubleshooting section I knew, this girl’s got it! I never thought to cook the sugar into the flour and milk mixture. Genius! I carefully followed to the letter. I made a red velvet with this icing for my son’s birthday today and this was the BEST my icing has ever turned out. This will be the icing recipe I use from now on. THANK YOU!!!!
Sam
I am so happy the post was helpful to you, Christina!! Thank you so much for trying my recipe and for commenting! <3
Caitlin
Where I live both the butter and powdered sugar are super expensive so I’ve been wanting to find an alternative to buttercream frosting. I finally had a chance to try this recipe and WOW! It was so good and cost a fraction of what it would have cost me to make buttercream.
This recipe made enough frosting to cover a whole 8-inch two layer cake in a good amount of frosting, with enough left over to add some finishing touches. I wanted chocolate frosting so I added 1/3 cup of cocoa powder at the end and it turned out perfectly.
Thanks for this recipe! It’s going on everyone’s birthday cakes this year.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Caitlin! 🙂
Jane
Perfect instructions! Easy to follow and the frosting came out so well! Great recipe, thank you.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Jane! 🙂
Cheryel
What if you do not have a stand mixer or electric mixer? Will it work to mix with whisk?
Sam
You can make it without the aid of a stand mixer or electric mixer but it will be quite the arm workout. I am not sure a whisk is your best bet here it may not be strong enough.
Neethi
Hey, this is really helpful. Will try it soon. I have one doubt though. I’m trying to make a refined sugar free smash cake for my little one’s first birthday. Can I use date paste instead of sugar in the frosting? Will the consistency be thick enough to frost?
Sam
Honestly I have never tried using date paste for a frosting so I’m not sure how it would turn out. If you try it I would love to know how it goes. 🙂
Frances
This is the recipe I use for my whoopie pies that is similar. Instead of all butter I use half butter and half butter/flavored Crisco. The butter, crisco, sugar and vanilla get beaten together and the flour/milk mixture is beaten in after it cools.
amy beckley
Hi Sam
Love your recipes! Can you use cream cheese instead of butter in your Ermine Frosting recipe for a cross between a cream cheese frosting and buttercream-ish frosting?
thanks! Keep up the great baking 🙂
Amy
Sam
Hi Amy! I haven’t tried it. It may be better to do a half and half blend (half butter, half cream cheese), but it sounds delicious. 🙂
Marilyn Belcher
It’s the same recipe as my mom’s ice cream frosting except the butter and sugar are beaten together and the flour/milk mixture is added to it!
Susie
Awesome!! Can’t wait to try on my GF cupcakes. thanks for the receipe.
Sam
I hope you love it! 🙂
Amutha
Hai Sam can I use this frosting for a
double layered vanilla birthday cake.
Sam
You certainly can! 🙂
Adrienne
I have looked everywhere for the “original” red velvet cake frosting. My husband has talked about the Red Velvet cake that his Grandmother would make and how he has never tasted one like it, since she passed away. I have been at a complete loss until I ran across your receipe!!! Thank you SO much!! Quick question…Could you add pecans to the frosting? If so, how much and when would you incorporate them into the frosting?
Thank you again, SO much!!!
Sam
I hope you love the frosting, Adrienne! I think you could add the pecans to this frosting. I would just stir them in at the end and the amount comes down to personal preference. I am wondering if the icing you are thinking of is a divinity icing, similar to my divinity/sea foam candy. 🙂
Debi
I also use Crisco in my icing ,now I am curious to see difference
Sam
I think you’ll love this one. 🙂
Ore
Cam i use margarine instead if butter
Sam
I haven’t tried it but I would be worried it would be too soft. If it’s all you have it’s worth a shot. 🙂
Mary
I have used land o lakes margarine almost everyone I make this and have been making for years.